Escape is only the beginning.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2018

WINNER OF THE GILLER PRIZE

SHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2020

FINALIST FOR THE CARNEGIE MEDAL AND THE ROGERS WRITERS TRUST FICTION PRIZE

LONGLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE 2019

When two English brothers take the helm of a Barbados sugar plantation, Washington Black - an eleven-year-old field slave - finds himself selected as personal servant to one of them. The eccentric Christopher 'Titch' Wilde is a naturalist, explorer, scientist, inventor and abolitionist, whose single-minded pursuit of the perfect aerial machine mystifies all around him. Titch's idealistic plans are soon shattered and Washington finds himself in mortal danger. They escape together, but then Titch disappears and Washington must make his way alone, following the promise of freedom further than he ever dreamed possible. Inspired by a true story, Washington Black is an extraordinary tale of a world destroyed and made whole again.

"Washington Black is a profoundly humane story about false idols, the fickleness of fortune and whether a slave, once freed, can ever truly be free." - The Times

"A lush, exhilarating travelogue reminiscent of Jules Verne... Edugyan, like her hero, can paint an indelible scene" - New Yorker

"A full-pelt adventure story featuring hot-air balloon crashes, blizzards in the Arctic, scientific discovery, knife fights in dark alleys, bounty hunters and forbidden romance" - Sunday Times